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The Nationals have become a great watch every night. Players are having career years in the first half of the season.
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00:00That's right. In the same game last night, both C.J. Abrams and Luis Garcia belted their 20th home runs.
00:08What the Nationals offense has been doing all year has been remarkable.
00:12They're the number one scoring offense in the sport. If you guys follow them, you know that.
00:15But the power with which they are hitting right now is also staggering.
00:20They tied the New York Yankees last night for the most home runs hit in Major League Baseball with 132.
00:27They've never led the league in home runs hit in any season.
00:30That's a big market thing, and they don't operate like a big market team.
00:34The teams that hit the home runs, you think about the Yankees, the Phillies.
00:37They're paying for it, yeah.
00:38You pay a lot of money. Power costs money. 40 home runs bats cost money.
00:42It's very rare that you could draft one of those, although the Nats traded for one in the form of
00:46James Wood.
00:47But they're going to have 30 homer bats in both C.J. Abrams.
00:50They traded for in the same deal as James Wood. Both of them are all-stars.
00:53Looks like Luis Garcia is going to hit 30 home runs this year.
00:56It looks like Curtis Mead could hit 22 to 25 home runs this year.
01:00But collectively as a team, they have more home runs than every other team in Major League Baseball
01:08other than the Yankees coming to town tomorrow, who they are tied with for the number one spot.
01:12And I think the hitting instructors need to take a bow.
01:15That's Borg Schulte who's been on our show and Andrew Eight and the entire crew.
01:19But that's also the front office, the philosophy from Toboni on down, the analytical decisions being made by Ani Kolombi,
01:27some of the in-game decisions being made by Blake Butera.
01:30We talk a lot about when it doesn't work with the matchups and you go left on right or right
01:35on left,
01:36and why is Luis Garcia out of the game for Andres Chaparro?
01:38But as evidenced by their numbers, way more often than not, Danny, it has worked this year.
01:44Yeah, you feel like a horse's ass.
01:47I do certainly.
01:48Questioning anything with taking the same group year over year pretty much,
01:52and you've added to it guys like Curtis Mead who didn't start for the first month plus of the season.
01:59Think about if he played every day from Jump Street.
02:02He's at 15 home runs at this point.
02:04And again, he played less than half the games in March and April.
02:07If he played every day, he'd be knocking on the door of 20 as well.
02:10What a fine that is.
02:11But you're 100% right.
02:13This staff taking the molds of clay that these guys were.
02:18James Woods, prodigious.
02:19He would do this with almost any staff probably.
02:22Now, you'd probably see longer valleys like you saw last year old in his career.
02:25But as a guy that's on his way to being an MVP candidate and superstar,
02:29he might do this on his own, so to speak.
02:31You go, okay, fine.
02:32What about everybody else?
02:33Look at the power numbers everywhere else up and down this lineup.
02:37Dylan Lyle's got the double digits.
02:38His usually tend to come in bunches.
02:40You already mentioned Abramson, Garcia.
02:42Garcia's now on a career high in the first half of the season,
02:45just in the first half of the season.
02:46It's been astounding how this group has been able to hit with power.
02:50And it's not just a weightlifting thing.
02:52It's not just, here's a new line of posture, your chain strength conditioning stuff.
02:56It is an understanding of getting to a pitch where you can drive the baseball.
03:01Having a plan that you're able to go out and execute that's tangible.
03:04All those guys that we talked to in spring training, they weren't doing some company line.
03:08They're all sitting there with their eyes lighting up, raving about the,
03:12when I get instruction, it's not just bend your knees, point your toe, move your hands, try this.
03:18It's, here's your tangible action item.
03:23Execute this and watch what happens.
03:25And the results speak for themselves.
03:27Career years up and down this lineup.
03:30It's unbelievable.
03:31There are three players in baseball this year that have 20 homers, excuse me,
03:35there's 10 players total that have 10, 20 homers and 60 runs batted in.
03:4010.
03:41Three of them are nationals.
03:43All right.
03:43So of the 10 guys in the sport, 20 jacks, 60 stakes, you've got Wood, Abrams, Garcia.
03:5030% of them are in this lineup.
03:52I actually was working the game last night.
03:54They won.
03:55So Danny wasn't doing it.
03:56So I wasn't there yet.
03:5710th time that they have won a game while I was there and I got to do a post game
04:01interview.
04:01You have.
04:02I have three.
04:03You have three?
04:04Three wins.
04:05I thought you had two still.
04:06I did have two, but they won the other night, 12 to 11.
04:08Guess who was there?
04:10Talking to Curtis Mead.
04:11Three and 11.
04:12Danny.
04:13So you're catching up.
04:14Yeah.
04:15I was ready to say you had two.
04:16So it's 10 for me, 7 for Toby, 3 for you.
04:19Yep.
04:20For the 20 home wins this season.
04:22Oh, I hate that applause.
04:24That's my least favorite crowd applause.
04:26They don't care.
04:26It's definitely the golf clap where they don't really mean it.
04:30They don't mean it.
04:31Yeah, that makes sense because the Nats are 20 and 28 at home.
04:34So 10 to 7 to 3 is the scoreboard.
04:36Yeah.
04:37C.J. Abrams after hitting his 20th home run in a win last night.
04:40He joined the 20 home run club.
04:43Three Nationals in that club ahead of the All-Star break in the fifth inning.
04:472-0.
04:48Fastball in the middle of the plate.
04:49You knew what to do with it.
04:50Take me through the sequence there.
04:52No, yeah.
04:53I was just looking fastball middle.
04:55You know, I didn't want to chase anything up.
04:56So I got one kind of middle down and let it go.
05:00No doubters like that.
05:01A little bit more fun for you.
05:02You knew that one was gone.
05:03Most definitely.
05:04You know, you get to celebrate with the team after.
05:06Three 20 home run bats already at the break, as I mentioned.
05:10James, yourself, and Luis, who's been hard charging here, who caught up to you.
05:14What do you make of that?
05:15That has not happened for this organization.
05:17Yeah, it's been working.
05:18You know, we've been in the cages working.
05:21Before the game, you know, just swinging that good pitches,
05:23and I think we've been doing a great job of it.
05:25In fact, organizationally, you guys are now tied with the Yankees with over 130 for the most in baseball.
05:31Is that philosophical from the top down?
05:33Is there something about the process that's led to that?
05:36How has that been possible this year?
05:38I mean, just taking it day by day.
05:40You know, swinging that pitches in the heart of the zone.
05:42We've been reiterating that every day.
05:43So we're going to keep it rocking.
05:45What did it mean for you to get the nod as the starting shortstop for the National League?
05:49Yeah, it's amazing.
05:50You know, get to represent the Nats, go have fun, and get the second half going.
05:54Work's not done just yet.
05:56Yankees coming to town for three.
05:57You guys continue to string series wins together.
06:00New York and D.C., fairly rare matchup.
06:03How do you feel about the Yankees coming in?
06:04I'm excited.
06:05You know, it's going to be a great series.
06:06Let's go get another series dug.
06:08That's what they do, by the way.
06:10That's what they do.
06:10They've won 12 of their last 16 series.
06:12I think they only have two series losses in that time.
06:15But that's All-Star appearance number two now for Abrams.
06:18He'll have start number one, the first ever member of the organization to start the All-Star game at the
06:23shortstop position.
06:24Tied his career high in homers yesterday.
06:27Surpassed his career high in runs bad.
06:28And then they have still 70 games left.
06:31Luis Garcia moved past all his career totals last night.
06:34It really is staggering what's happening.
06:36You might know this number, so it'll ruin my bed if you do.
06:39Do you know how many more runs James Wood has than the number two run scored person in the National
06:45League?
06:46I do.
06:46So make it rhetorical.
06:47Just ask the person in there.
06:48Do you have any idea, person in the car?
06:49The difference of 21 runs.
06:5285 runs for James Wood.
06:54Brian Reynolds.
06:54Good job.
06:55Good first half, Brian Reynolds.
06:5664.
06:58What?
06:59What?
07:00That's preposterous.
07:00That is preposterous.
07:01Everyone else is clumped.
07:0264, 63, 62.
07:04Like five guys tied with 62.
07:05That's adorable.
07:0785 runs before the All-Star break.
07:09That's MVP stuff.
07:11That's most valuable player.
07:13Say that one more time.
07:14In baseball stuff, when you're lapping the field and runs scored, which is the goal in
07:18the entire point, offensively.
07:20Real quick on Foster Griffin.
07:21I think he gets lost in the shuffle because we talk so much about the offense.
07:24So I wanted to mention a few nuggets on Griffin.
07:27The 30-year-old rookie, he turns 31 later this month.
07:31In fact, in three weeks, he's going to be 31 years old as a rookie.
07:35He spent three years in Japan.
07:36He couldn't really cut it and make it to the big leagues despite having been a first-rounder
07:40and a futures game participant and a prospect at one point in time.
07:43But he's all grown up now.
07:45He's got a family and everything.
07:47And he is sporting a 2.77 earn run average through 19 starts.
07:53So that's one of the best ERAs in baseball.
07:55He also has a 10-2 record.
07:5810 wins before the All-Star break.
08:00Now, wins and losses are almost irrelevant.
08:02It's a very dated statistic.
08:04But it is indicative of the fact that he pitches deep in two games.
08:09The team, when he has pitched, so he has 19 starts.
08:12This year, the Nats are 15-4 in the 19 games he has pitched.
08:17Think about that.
08:17It's unbelievable.
08:18Tells you everything you need to know about him.
08:20He's made seven consecutive starts where he's allowed one or fewer runs.
08:25Seven straight.
08:26Scherzer in 2016 as a Cy Young didn't do that once.
08:29Scherzer in 2017 as a Cy Young didn't do that once.
08:33Seven consecutive outings, one run or fewer.
08:35Third time it's happened in franchise history.
08:37Jordan Zimmerman did it years ago.
08:39Steven Strasburg did it in, I think, his second season or something like that around 2013.
08:44But that's the entirety of the list.
08:47And one other note on Griffin that I looked up last night.
08:51So remember when we were sitting here, it was a day game getaway day in Cincinnati.
08:54I think they had a chance to sweep the Reds and they lost.
08:57They gave up a billion runs in that game.
08:59Well, Foster Griffin pitched.
09:01And he got knocked around.
09:02He got knocked out of the game in the fifth inning and gave up nine Ernie's.
09:04If you take that start out of the equation, which isn't a crazy thing to say, he's pitched 19 times.
09:10Yeah, his worst start, you get rid of your highest and lowest, whatever.
09:12Yeah, just take out that outing.
09:14His ERA for the season is 2.12, which would be number three in Major League Baseball to Jacob Mizarowski
09:21and Cam Schlittler.
09:22That is how good Foster Griffin has been.
09:25That's insane.
09:26He basically trails Christopher Sanchez, the Miz, whom you referenced,
09:30and Chase Burns, who's having an unbelievable season in his own right in Cincinnati, in terms of war as a
09:35pitcher.
09:36He's ahead of Yamamoto, Sale, Otani, King, anybody you could think of that are the stars, that are the stalwarts,
09:44that are the true number ones for anybody.
09:46They should extend him.
09:47I don't know why you wouldn't be able to.
09:49This is a guy who was in Japan for three years, who's never been in the big leagues for any
09:55notable amount of time before this year.
09:57He was on our show just six, seven weeks ago.
09:59I don't remember exactly what it was.
10:00And he was talking about his relationship with the pitching staff and the coaching staff
10:05and how they're getting the most out of him because they speak the same language, and he sees it the
10:09way they see it.
10:10Why wouldn't you be able right now?
10:12And I know you're buying a house at peak value, and maybe that's what Paul Taboney and his staff would
10:16say.
10:16But just do a two- or three-year deal with this guy.
10:19Yeah, he's 31, but he's got less mileage on his arm than anyone in the history of being 31.
10:24Yeah, he's not a power Peter.
10:24I mean, he's not here redlining every outing, going five innings to 115 pitches at 98.
10:30But that probably worries you a little more because when you lose a mile and a half or two miles
10:34an hour, now it's 89-90 or whatever.
10:37Well, sure, but I guess my point is he's not doing it because he's overpowering people with pure stuff,
10:42and that's going to age poorly with injury.
10:44I mean, this is – we've gone through the league a couple times now.
10:47People are seeing him for the second time, and the scouting reports are out.
10:50Everybody's got their traject with his stuff on it, and he is befuddling people.
10:54He's getting uncomfortable swing after confused take after uncomfortable at bat on the regular.
11:02He's a beast.
11:03He's so legit.
11:04Yeah, he's also – he's one of these guys who's very thoughtful, introspective.
11:08I love talking to him.
11:09He's beloved in the clubhouse.
11:10He's the leader of the rotation, but he's one of these guys that's like a – I don't want to
11:14go full bulldog.
11:15He's not like a Scherzer, but he's got some of that to him.
11:18He flips a switch when he gets over that white line and gets on the mound.
11:21He's a badass.
11:22Yeah, the guy that was talking to us about his pitch grips at the lunch table down there in Florida,
11:26different guy between the lines.
11:27It is just different.
11:28Remember when it felt like they were hiding him in spring training?
11:31Yes, definitely.
11:32He only had one actual spring training spot.
11:34Such a good point by you, Darius.
11:35It was backfield stuff and or minor league stuff, and then it was the international game.
11:40So spring training started before Valentine's Day.
11:43I don't remember the exact dates, but it was like February 11 to 13 or whatever.
11:46That's like pitchers and catchers report.
11:47We got down there March 4th through the 8th, and one of the days that we were there –
11:52might have even been the 4th or the 5th when we first got there.
11:54He was making his first start in an actual spring training game,
11:58even though he'd already pitched a couple times.
12:00After that start, he didn't pitch in another game that was seen at the actual ballpark.
12:06I think he had won the entire spring.
12:09Did he throw the Venezuela game, or was that somebody else?
12:11No.
12:11That was somebody else.
12:12Okay.
12:12That was – oh, I'd have to remember now.
12:17I don't know.
12:18Doesn't matter.
12:18Not important, yeah.
12:18But –
12:19Do you want to spend 15 minutes trying to remember?
12:21Go full Chris Russell.
12:22Call it the Russell.
12:23It wasn't –
12:23It was on the 5th.
12:24No, it was the 6th.
12:25No, wait.
12:26It wasn't the volley.
12:27Hold on.
12:28It could have been Jake.
12:29Jake?
12:29I think it was Mitch Parker.
12:30But we spoke to Irvin Holder.
12:32No, it doesn't matter.
12:34I think it was Mitch Parker.
12:35No.
12:36But anyway, he was, I think, purposefully hidden.
12:40Yeah.
12:41In that entire spring.
12:42It actually was Foster Griffin, by the way.
12:44Was it?
12:44Yeah.
12:45I thought I had it right.
12:46He pitched two innings.
12:46Yep.
12:47So that was the game that we saw him pitch.
12:49I would have thought it was another game.
12:50So tip of the cap.
12:51But regardless, I thought it was Mitch Parker because –
12:55Because he's left-handed.
12:56Yeah.
12:57But that was the one time.
12:58Uh-huh.
12:58And by the way, that's not even a team.
13:00Yeah.
13:00There's some big leaguers on the team, obviously.
13:02Yes, but it's an exhibition against the country.
13:04Right.
13:04So they literally didn't throw him in a spring training game in West Palm Beach, effectively.
13:08I – and I get it now.
13:10It is the – again, it is one of the things that I would say.
13:12And if someone asks me or – like, if you hear me saying something that you don't like,
13:17you could just text me, Foster Griffin.
13:19And then I go, you know what?
13:20I have to stop.
13:21I apologize.
13:22I apologize.
13:22Because you got that right in such a – do you think in their wildest dreams they thought
13:27anything like this?
13:28They thought he'd be a serviceable Sam, right?
13:30They go, this guy will get us 160 innings and we'll figure it out.
13:33Like, there's no way, right?
13:35No one knew.
13:36Toby just texted us.
13:38Tobes is at home.
13:39We'll discuss – we got a lot of things to talk about with Tobes tomorrow.
13:42Yeah.
13:42When he gets back here.
13:43Let's just say he's been on the injured list for the last few days.
13:47Poor guy, by the way.
13:48No joke, yeah.
13:50But we'll get to the bottom of what's ailing him tomorrow on a very special Grant and Danny.
13:55But he texted.
13:56He was all over it.
13:57He said, yeah, it was Foster Griffin.
13:58I remembered that they faced Eduardo Rodriguez.
14:00That part was easier.
14:02That was, like, the best spring training game I've ever seen, too.
14:05Because if you remember when Clayton Beater was pitching in the late inning?
14:08Dude, it was a spot.
14:09It was, like, a standing ballpark.
14:10Yeah.
14:11And everyone was, like, into it.
14:11And we're, like, what is going on here?
14:13This is March 4th.
14:15G&D on the –
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